Oct. 31, 2006

Alex Brink in a freshman libero/defensive specialist from Castle Rock, Colorado and Dayna Norwood is a freshman defensive specialist from Lansing, Kansas. Both players are in their first season of college volleyball for the Lady Cardinals, and both are defensive specialists.

Until an injury slowed Brink midway through Southland Conference play, she led the Lady Cards in digs and was the primary libero. Norwood has battled injuries for most of the season, and is now starting to make a major impact on the Lady Cards defensive play.

Question: Alex, how has it been for you, stepping in and making such an immediate impact as a freshman?

Brink: I just wanted to get out there and do the best that I could to help the team. I didn't really think about it too much.

Question: Dayna, you have had to battle through a couple of injuries this season. What have you done to get yourself ready to contribute to the team and step up when called upon?

Norwood: It's been tough. You want to be on the floor as much as you can and having to battle injuries makes it even harder. You start the preseason and get used to everything and then you are out and coming back into it, it's rough again. I know when I came back I played horribly.

Question: What is the biggest difference between Beaumont and your respective home towns?

Brink: I would definitely say the weather is the biggest difference. Just the other day there was a huge snow storm in Denver, and here we just get a lot of rain. Also, it is obviously a lot colder than it is here is Beaumont.

Norwood: I miss my family for sure. It's a lot different from Kansas here, but mainly I just miss my family.

Question: Being the only two players on the team that are not from Texas, do you have a special bond with each other?

Brink: We don't really have any kind of special bond just because we aren't from Texas. Our whole team is pretty close, and we all get along really well.

Question: What do you think is in store for this team in the closing weeks of the season?

Norwood: I think we are going to come together as a team over the next couple of weeks. You'll go through the ups and downs during a season and we've had some really tough practices lately which I think is going to help us. I personally have a lot of confidence in my own game right now, and I think that our entire team does as well.